Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Are hurricanes increasing? Ask a Georgia pine tree

Are hurricanes increasing? Ask a Georgia pine tree

August 11, 2005

Centuries of hurricane records have been discovered in the rings of southeastern US pine trees. This arboreal archive may contain critical information about how the Atlantic hurricane factory responds over the long term to natural and human-induced climate changes, say researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In a "proof of concept" study of the oxygen isotopes found in the cellulose of late-season growth in annual growth rings from pine trees near Valdosta, Georgia, a team led by Claudia Mora found they could identify all known hurricanes that hit the area over the past fifty years.




But that's just the beginning, says Mora, who is scheduled to present some of her team's findings on Thursday, 11 August, at Earth System Processes 2, a meeting co-convened by the Geological Society of America and Geological Association of Canada this week in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. "We've taken it back 100 years and didn't miss a storm," said Mora.

Since a century is a very short time when it comes to climate change, she and her team applied their new technique to old trees from other parts of the Southeastern US and found a tropical cyclone record spanning 227 years. They've even found additional climate information going back as far as 1450 AD.

"What we're trying to do is understand frequency of hurricanes and how variable their occurrence is over the long-term," said Mora. "We're trying to come up with a reliable way to establish this."

Mora's group divided each individual annual tree ring in the trees into early-year and late-year growth. That way they could isolate the late-year hurricane season. Then they searched all the woody tissues for any sudden drops in a particular oxygen isotope: oxygen-18. That is the hurricane signal, Mora said.

What makes drops in oxygen-18 so telling is that it matches up with a little known talent of all hurricanes: they are very good at depleting the air of oxygen-18, Mora says. Consequently, there are unusually low concentrations of oxygen-18 in the water that rains out of hurricanes. So when shallow roots of Southeastern trees like the longleaf pine and slash pine suck up that low-O-18 hurricane rain water, the same unusual isotopic signal is preserved in the woody tree cells that start growing as soon as the sun breaks through the storm clouds.

The trees pick up the storm water in the dozen or so days immediately after the storm, according to what other researchers have learned about how pines exploit rainwater, says Mora.

Of course, not every hurricane drops rain on Valdosta, Georgia, says Mora. So to get a fuller picture of hurricane frequencies her team has already begun looking at and searching for more locations and old living trees or well-preserved dead trees in the Southeastern US , she said.

The matter of hurricane frequency has taken on greater importance recently as the Eastern US is seeing more hurricanes and climate researchers have begun asserting that there's reason to believe global warming-at least partially human-influenced-may be causing the increase.

The best way to differentiate natural from anthropogenic increases in hurricane occurrence is to have a long history of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones to compare with, Mora explains.

Geological Society of America



Related Hurricanes Current Events and Hurricanes News Articles Hurricanes Current Events and Hurricanes News RSS Hurricanes Current Events and Hurricanes News RSS
NASA's QuikScat and Aqua providing important data on Tropical Storm Anja
Anja has continued to weaken over the last 24 hours, and NASA's QuikScat satellite has confirmed that the once mighty Category 4 Cyclone is now a tropical storm in the southern Indian Ocean.

Researchers can predict hurricane-related power outages
Using data from Hurricane Katrina and four other destructive storms, researchers from Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M universities say they have found a way to accurately predict power outages in advance of a hurricane.

Seismic Noise Unearths Lost Hurricanes
Seismologists have found a new way to piece together the history of hurricanes in the North Atlantic - by looking back through records of the planet's seismic noise. It's an entirely new way to tap into the rich trove of seismic records, and the strategy might help establish a link between global warming and the frequency or intensity of hurricanes.

For safer emergencies, give your power generator some space
To subdue the steaming heat of hurricanes or to thaw out during a blizzard, gasoline-powered, portable generators are a lifeline during weather emergencies when homes are cut off without electricity.

Killer bees may increase food supplies for native bees
Aggressive African bees were accidentally released in Brazil in 1957. As "killer bees" spread northward, David Roubik, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, began a 17-year study that revealed that Africanized bees caused less damage to native bees than changes in the weather and may have increased the availability of their food plants.

Storm Killers: LSU's Earth Scan Lab Tracks Cold Water Upwellings in Gulf
Complex interactions between the ocean and overlying atmosphere cause hurricanes to form, and also have a tremendous amount of influence on the path, intensity and duration of a hurricane or tropical weather event.

Hurricane frequency is up but not their strength, say Clemson researchers
In a new study, Clemson University researchers have concluded that the number of hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic Basin is increasing, but there is no evidence that their individual strengths are any greater than storms of the past or that the chances of a U.S. strike are up.

Texas A&M researcher shows possible link between 1918 El Niño and flu pandemic
Research conducted at Texas A&M University casts doubts on the notion that El Niño has been getting stronger because of global warming and raises interesting questions about the relationship between El Niño and a severe flu pandemic 91 years ago.

Tornado threat increases as Gulf hurricanes get larger
Tornadoes that occur from hurricanes moving inland from the Gulf Coast are increasing in frequency, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Rhododendron expansion may increase the chance of landslides on Southern Appalachian slopes
Research by U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists and partners suggests that the expansion of rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) in Southern Appalachian mountain hollows may increase the likelihood of landslides during and after intense rain events.
More Hurricanes Current Events and Hurricanes News Articles
Hurricanes

Hurricanes
by Seymour Simon (Author)

Hurricanes. Typhoons. Cyclones. No matter what you call them, these formidable, swirling storms are the most devastating events in nature. hurricanes takes young readers on an in-depth exploration of one of the most awe-inspiring phenomena on Earth! This dramatic account of hurricanes and the disasters they leave behind, including Andrew and Katrina, are intensified through arresting full-color photographs and satellite images. Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution to bring you a new, updated edition of his acclaimed look at this astonishing, and often terrifying, natural disaster.



Pfaltzgraff Winterberry Hand-Painted Footed Hurricane Candle Holder with Candle

Pfaltzgraff Winterberry Hand-Painted Footed Hurricane Candle Holder with Candle
by Pfaltzgraff

Pfaltzgraff Winterberry glass hurricane candle holder with candle included is a festive addition to your tablesetting. Place this hurricane candle as a centerpiece alone or with holiday flowers to create a warm, inviting seasonal buffet or table.

The Wrath of God, Disasters in America - The Hurricanes: Deadly Wind, Deadly Rain (History Channel)

The Wrath of God, Disasters in America - The Hurricanes: Deadly Wind, Deadly Rain (History Channel)
Starring: Artist Not Provided

They are storms that can reach 600 miles across dumping torrential rains and battering the landscape with winds that easily exceed 100 miles per hour. They can put islands underwater level cities and kill thousands of people.Only one or two hurricanes hit U.S. soil each year but when they do the repercussions are enormous. Widespread panic and staggering loss of life and property come with them often made worse when people foolishly think that the calm of the eye of the storm indicates that danger has passed. HURRICANES reveals how scientists have made great strides understanding and predicting these storms in the 20th century. But as the population in America's coastal areas increases their threat remains undiminished. By profiling three awesome storms the "big one" in Miami in 1926 the...

The Very Best of Johnny & The Hurricanes

The Very Best of Johnny & The Hurricanes
by Johnny & The Hurricanes

Johnny & The Hurricanes, The Very Best of Johnny & The Hurricanes


Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes

Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes
by Kerry Emanuel (Author)

Imagine standing at the center of a Roman coliseum that is 20 miles across, with walls that soar 10 miles into the sky, towering walls with cascades of ice crystals falling along its brilliantly white surface. That's what it's like to stand in the eye of a hurricane. In Divine Wind, Kerry Emanuel, one of the world's leading authorities on hurricanes, gives us an engaging account of these awe-inspiring meteorological events, revealing how hurricanes and typhoons have literally altered human history, thwarting military incursions and changing the course of explorations. Offering an account of the physics of the tropical atmosphere, the author explains how such benign climates give rise to the most powerful storms in the world and tells what modern science has learned about them. Interwoven...

Anchor Hocking 4-1/2-Ounce Hurricane Votive Candle Holder, Pack of 12

Anchor Hocking 4-1/2-Ounce Hurricane Votive Candle Holder, Pack of 12
by Anchor Hocking

Candle holder perfect for home decor, weddings and crafting and comes in a traditional design adds charm to any table. Can be used in dishwasher and is made in USA.

Headboard

Headboard
Hurricane Chris featuring Mario & Plies (Primary Contributor)



National Geographic - Inside Hurricane Katrina

National Geographic - Inside Hurricane Katrina

From the creators of critically acclaimed Inside 9/11 comes another powerful journalistic account, Inside Hurricane Katrina. Go beyond the round-the-clock news coverage for a comprehensive look behind the devastation caused by nature's fury and human error. How did this happen? Can it happen again? Why weren't emergency personnel fully ready to respond to a real disaster? Using comprehensive analysis of events, hours of government audio tapes, and personal interviews, National Geographic takes viewers into the eye of Katrina to uncover the decisions and circumstances that determined the fate of the Gulf residents.

The Magic School Bus Inside A Hurricane

The Magic School Bus Inside A Hurricane
by Joanna Cole (Author), Bruce Degen (Illustrator), Bruce Degan (Illustrator)

When Ms. Frizzle's class takes a field trip to the local weather station, they end up in a hurricane.

Accents de Ville Giant Glass Hurricane

Accents de Ville Giant Glass Hurricane
by Accents de Ville

Accents de Ville offers unique and stylish household items. The Giant Glass Hurricane exemplifies Accents de Ville’s commitment to fashionable house wares. It is lovely, fun and is a wonderful edition to any home. Made of glass. Holds one pillar candle; c

© 2009 BrightSurf.com